This invention relates to a process and apparatus for treating mammalian blood by preparing a blood charge, and treating the charge to prepare conditioned charge in preparation for injecting the conditioned charge into a patient as part of a medical procedure.
Various treatments have been proposed for the treatment of mammalian blood ex vivo to condition the blood in some way before injecting the blood into a patient. Some procedures take blood from a patient, condition the blood, and then return the blood to the same patient continuously. These procedures contrast with procedures which require that the blood be taken from the patient to be treated as a batch and then returned to the patient. In batch processes there is the possibility that the blood will be given to the wrong patient as well as the dangers inherent in transferring blood from one location to another. Also, batch treatments are potentially hazardous because of the risk of blood contamination during the process of conditioning the blood and also because of the potential for infecting the operator accidentally.
The present invention is directed at the problems inherent in the batch process of treating mammalian blood.
A blood treatment process using batch treatment techniques involves three main steps. Firstly, the blood is sourced either from a donor or from a patient, who will also be the patient receiving the conditioned blood. The blood may be mixed with an anticoagulant and the blood charge must then be transferred to apparatus used to condition the charge. Finally, the conditioned charge has to be collected and prepared for injection into the patient. These steps involve the use of needles (sharps), tubing, valves, syringes and ancillary parts and connectors. At every stage it is important to minimize risk so that the charge is moved and treated without contamination, and so that none of the charge comes into contact with the operator running the procedure.
Accordingly, it is among the objects of the present invention to provide a process and apparatus for receiving a blood charge, conditioning the charge, and preparing the conditioned charge for injecting into a patient while minimizing the risk of contamination and spillage.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a disposable flask assembly for use in a machine designed to condition a charge in the flask assembly and prepare the conditioned charge ready for injection.
In one of its aspects, the invention provides apparatus for conditioning mammalian blood for subsequent use in a medical procedure. The apparatus includes a cabinet having a secure environment and a door providing the only access to the environment. An input system is provided for transporting a blood charge from a source to the cabinet and a flask is removably contained in the secure environment and coupled to the charge input system to receive the charge. Stressors are coupled to the cabinet and positioned for operation to create a conditioned charge in the flask. An output system is coupled to the flask and includes a receiver for the conditioned charge.
The apparatus includes an automated control system operable upon closing the door to lock the door and to then condition the charge, and to then cause the charge to move from the flask to the receiver. As a result, a charge from the input system is conditioned and delivered to the receiver, the door is then unlocked and the conditioned charge is ready to be removed and used to complete the medical procedure.
In another of its aspects, the invention provides a cabinet for use in conditioning mammalian blood for subsequent use in a medical procedure. A blood charge is conditioned in a flask and the cabinet has a front defining a front recess and a top defining a depression adjacent to the front recess. A door is hinged for movement between an open position and a closed position in which the front recess and the depression are covered by the door to create a secure environment, and a lock is coupled to the cabinet and to the door to lock the door in the closed position. A cavity extends downwardly from the top depression within the secure environment, and is adapted to receive the flask. A control system is coupled to the door lock to sense the condition of the door to establish that the flask is securely positioned in the cabinet and that the door is locked before the charge is conditioned. The charge can then be conditioned in the flask securely within the cabinet.
In yet another of its aspects, the invention provides a cabinet for use in conditioning mammalian blood for subsequent use in a medical procedure. A blood charge is conditioned in a flask and the cabinet has a front, a top, and a door hinged for movement between an open position and a closed position in which at least a portion of the front and a portion of the top are covered by the door to create a secure environment. A lock is coupled to the cabinet and to the door to lock the door in the closed position, and a cavity extends downwardly from the top wall within the secure environment to receive the flask. A control system is coupled to the door lock to sense the condition of the door to establish that the flask is in the secure environment within the cabinet, and that the door is locked before the charge is conditioned.
In still another of its aspects, the invention provides a flask assembly for use in apparatus having a cabinet made to receive the flask assembly for conditioning mammalian blood. The flask assembly includes a flask in the form of an envelope defining a substantially enclosed volume, and including a top and a bottom. The top has an access opening and an outlet, and a connector assembly is coupled to the top of the flask. A probe extends from the connector assembly, through the access opening and has a top end and a leading end. The probe is sealed in the access opening and defines an input lumen for transporting a blood charge to the bottom of the flask, an output lumen for transporting conditioned charge from the bottom of the flask out of the flask, and a gas lumen for feeding gas into the flask to condition the charge when a charge is in the flask. The connector assembly includes outlet tubing coupled to the outlet to lead spent gas out of the flask, and inlet tubing coupled to the gas lumen. A pair of gas connectors is coupled to the platform and connected to the respective gas inlet tubing and to the gas outlet tubing to make gas connections when the flask assembly is mounted in the apparatus. As a result, when the flask is engaged in the cabinet, the gas connections engage a gas supply system for conditioning the charge in the flask before removing the conditioned charge.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a process is provided of treating mammalian blood in a blood charge to provide a conditioned charge for giving to a patient in a medical procedure. The process includes the steps of providing an automatic apparatus for treating the blood charge to create the conditioned charge, and for presenting the conditioned charge ready for use. The apparatus has a secure environment, a door controlling access to the environment, a flask, and stressors arranged to operate on a charge in the flask in the controlled environment. The blood charge is transported into the secure environment through thermoplastic inlet tubing for deposit in the flask, and the tubing is then sealed and severed. Next the part of the inlet tubing outside the secure environment is removed and the operation of the automatic apparatus is initiated so that the stressors will operate on the charge for a predetermined period, thereby stressing the charge in the flask while maintaining the secure environment. The apparatus is then given time to transport the conditioned charge from the flask to a receiver, and the door is opened to provide access to the receiver for use to give the conditioned charge to the patient.